He co-wrote and co-produced songs including "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches & Herb.
Shortly after moving to California from Washington, D.C., in 1968, Perren and bassist Alphonzo Mizell met guitarist Deke Richards.
Perren and the Corporation continued their work for Motown on soundtracks such as Hell Up in Harlem and Cooley High, which featured "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" (later a hit for Boyz II Men).
The Bee Gees recorded another of their own compositions, "If I Can't Have You", for the film and its soundtrack, but after hearing the Perren-produced version by Yvonne Elliman, preferred it to their own, which was relegated to a b-side.
Peaches & Herb follow-up Twice the Fire went gold and yielded the singles, "Roller Skate Mate (Part 1)", and "I Pledge My Love".
The song became a disco classic and has been recorded by dozens of artists in the decades since its debut, including charting versions by Cake, Chantay Savage, and Diana Ross.
After leaving Polydor in 1981, Perren attempted to produce acts on other labels such as Warner Bros. Records (for Atkins in 1982) and Atlantic (for The Spinners' 1982 album Grand Slam and Johnny Gill's self-titled debut).
[3] In the 1990s, Perren experienced a resurgence of success as the boyband phenomenon sought musical credibility and instant recognizability with covers of 1970s soul-disco hits.